Robert Richmond

Rank: Staff Sergeant
Most kids joined the military to run away from something. I ran away from home at age 17 and only chose the Army because it was the first organization someone suggested I join. Not growing up near a military base, I didn’t even know there was an Army unless there was a war. I was sold on the idea of them paying for college. Then they said the pay wasn’t bad. I asked. “They pay you?” Wow, I can’t wait.

After I saw all the cool video tapes, I said. I want to be a Green Beret. My recruiter explained I can’t go SF until after I join and serve awhile. Those guys all lie so I thought he was giving me the run around. I finally agreed to go infantry, but after scoring fairly high on the ASVAB, the people at MEPS told me I should go commo or something. Then they said there were no class dates anytime soon for infantry. Yeah right. I stood my ground. Then the guy says, “hey look, suppose you wanted to work at a bank as a teller, and they said we don’t have a teller position open right now. You would take what they had and become a teller later, right?” I said, “or try another branch,” as I pointed at the Marines door across the hall.

I had an infantry class date two days later. 11X, or unassigned. I shipped off to Ft Benning, GA in January of 1986. Harmony Church, ended up a mortar man. I volunteered for Airborne School immediately following Infantry school. I was 5’ 9” a buck 39, thought I was 6” 2” 220lbs when I graduated from airborne. I had Europe in my contract for sure thought I was going to Italy, to be an airborne infantryman. Landed in Germany, they said you’re going to the Cavalry. I said “there must be a mistake, I am airborne infantry, I don’t even know how to ride a horse.” I was young and dumb and dead serious.

I was assigned to 3rd Squadron 7th CAV. Schweinfurt, Germany, General Custer’s unit. There we were responsible for patrolling the boarders between East and West Germany, and Czechoslovakia. The unit was later renamed 4th Squadron 4th CAV. The unit that came too late to help Custer. From Hero’s to Zero’s.

I served three years, joined the reserves, was assigned to 12th SFG and immediately volunteered for Special Forces Selection. I passed and was afraid to go home, because at the time it was almost impossible to get back out to the Q course. I volunteered to pull CQ at the weapons course until they could get me orders and went to the Q course 30 days later.

12th SFG(A) was deactivated in 1994 and those who remained were assigned to 19th SFG(A)

Since going SF, besides the required leadership courses, the only other school I took time to go to was Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat (SFAUC) “Nous Defions”.

Hey guys. Just wanted to send an update. We are still conducting PMT. Pre-Mission Training. All the acronyms have changed again, since I last deployed. All the SOP’s have changed again, the equipment has changed, and the uniform has changed. So there is a lot to catch up on.

So far we have done a lot of Convoy training. Why we drive so much when that is the most likely way we die, I will never know. When we are not doing Convoy training, we do SFAUC Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat.

We just went through TCCC, Tactical Combat Casualty Care. Which is much more advanced that typical SF training, minus the 18D, medics. We all had a chance to do live tissue training. Chest tubes, tracheotomies, patch up some serious gunshot wounds, etc. Since the program as been initiated, every soldier in the military is trained to be a medic. All SF soldiers are more like trauma surgeons, and there has been 80% increase in survival rate in combat casualties.

This week I am focusing on CAS. Close Air Support. We are doing Helo’s here at Campbell and will go to Utah next week for Fast Movers.

Next we learn how to use the new mini guns. They are not new, but the idea of mounting them on Hummers is. They fire 50 rounds per second. and literally cut things in half when engaged. Rumor has it. Iraqis stopped attacking convoys when they have mini guns on them. I was told, but we know how stories go, that the Iraqis wanted to capture two mini guns that were on a convoy. Story goes they set up a 300 man ambush. All 300 were killed and the US only took one casualty who lived. We will see. They are incredible though. We won’t actually depart until early Oct. Can’t provide mission details at they are classified TS. But I will tell you we will be pushing offensively.